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lzltolltmlScpt. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS$HEET I 44/ 1 J7 7w: a a

G. S. TIFFANY.

TELAUTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 10. 1915. RENEWED JAN. 20. I919. 1,314,620,

G. S. TIFFANY.

TELAUTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT. 10, 1915. RENEWED JAN. 20, 1919.

1,314,620, Patentml Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. TIFFANY, 0F SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TELAUTOGRAPH CORPORATION, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

TELAUTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed September 10, 1915, Serial No. 49,885. Renewed January 20, 1919. Serial No. 272,192.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. TIFFANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Summit, county of Union, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Telauto'graphic Apparatus, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanyin drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in telautographs of the variable currentstrength type, such as shown and described in variousLetters Patent issued to me and various applications for Letters Patent filed by me.

The present'invent-ion has for its object the provision of record-making means for use in the receiving instrument in place of the ink-carrying pen and ink-well therefor heretofore used in telautographs.

In the accompanying drawin s-- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating, as far as is necessary for the purposes of the present case, a telautographic system comprising a transmitting instrument and a receiving instrument provided with a record making means embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged sczge, of part of the record-making means an Fig. 3 is a detail of a portion thereof on a still larger scale.

Referring to said drawings1, 2, represent the usual rheostats of a telautographic transmitting instrument, and 3 an ordinary form of electric generator, the negative pole of which is grounded at 4. 5 represents the usual tracer mounted, so as to be freely movable, in the converging ends of a air of pen arms 6, 7, the'opposi'te ends 0 which are pivotally connected with bell crank levers 8, 9, respectively, pivotally mounted at 10, 11, respectively, and provided with contact rollers 12, 13, hearing against rheostats 1, 2, respectively, 14 indicates as a whole, a master switch mechanism comprising stationary contacts 15, 16, 17, 18 and movable contacts 19, 20, 21, 22. When contacts 18, 22, are in engagement, rheostats 1, 2, are connected with the positive pole of generator 3 by wire 23, contacts 18, 22, wire 24, and wire 25, to rheostat 1 and'wire 26 to rheostat 2; the rheostats being connected by wires 27, 28, and wires 29, 30, to ground at 4. With the rheostats 1, 2, thus connected with generator 3, and with contact 17 engaged with contact 21, and contact 16 engaged with contact 20, it will be understood, of course, that, as the tracer 5 is moved laterally, as in ordinary writing, currents varying in strength, according to the ositlons of the roller contacts 12, 13, a ong rheostats 1, 2, will be shunted into the main line circuits to the receiving instrument. In such case, the right main line circuit consists of arm 9, wire 31, contacts 17, 21, wire 32, coil 33 and wires 34, 35, to ground at 36, while the left line circuit consists of arm 8, wire 37, contacts 16, 20, wire 38, relay 39, wire 40, coil 41 and wires 42, 43, 35, to ground at 36. The coils 33, 41, are mounted, so as to move rectilinearly, on the core 44 of a field magnet 45 which, when the left main line circuit justreferred to, is closed, is excited by a battery 46, which is then in circuit with magnet 45 through wire 47, magnet 45, wires 48, 49, movable contact 50, stationary contact 51, and wires 52, 43, 35,"back to the battery 46. The opening and closing of this local circuit is controlled by the left main line circuit through the relay 39 which, when energized, on the closing of the left main line circuit, attracts its armature 53 which then moves the movable contact 50 into engagement with the stationary contact 51, thus closing the local circuit from battery 46. The local circuit remains closed as long as the left main line circuit is closed. When the latter is opened relay magnet 39 is deenergized and releases its armature 53, whereupon contact 50 moves out of engagement with contact 51, thus opening this local circuit. Magnet 45 then discharges by wires 48, 54, 55, 52, 43, through a condenser 56.

The receiving tracer is mounted in the end of one of a pair of pivotally connected pen arms 61, 62 the opposite ends of which are pivotall connected with the free ends of a air 0 levers 63, 64, respectively, the opposlte ends of which are pivotall mounted, in the receiver frame, as is well understood. The pivotally mounted ends of levers 63, 64, have fixed to them sheaves 65, 66, respectively, over which runs chains connected thereto, and to U-shaped brackets 67, 68, respectively, fixed to the movable coils 41, 33, respectively, as is also well understood. Springs (not shown) tend to move the levers 63, 64 in one direction, while-the coils 41, 33, tend to move them in the opposite direction.

As indicated, the apparatus as thus far described is well known, so that further description of it is unnecessary except to point out such features of the present invention as are embodied therein, which will presently be done, and to also briefly state the method of operation of the apparatus, which is as follows: With the right and left main line circuits, and also the local circuits from battery 46, closed, as just described, as the operator moves the transmitting tracer laterally in Writing roller contacts 12, 13, will move along rheostats 1, 2, and currents of varying strength will be shunted from generator 3, into the main line circuit to therecelvmg station, where they pass through the coils 33, 41, to ground at 36. The magnetlc field for these coils being excited from battery 46, by the closing of the local circuit therefrom through magnet 45 effected by the energlzation of relay 39 in the left line as before described) these coils will be moved on the magnet core 44, more or less according to the strength, from time to time, of the currents traversing the right and left mam lines, the movements of each in one direction being re sisted by its corresponding spring (not shown), the tendency of which is to hold the coils in and return them to normal posltion.

As the coils are thus moved, in one direction I by the main line currents and in the other direction by the springs, they will through levers 63, 64, and arms 61, 62, move the receiving tracer 60 laterally, over the writlng surface, in the same direction and to the same extent as the transmitting tracer is moved, thus reproducing the characters traced by the latter. When a writing operation is ended, and contacts 20, 21 disengaged from contacts 16, 17, thus breaking the main line circuits, the local circuit, at the receiver, from battery 46, through magnet 45, will be broken by the deenergization of relay 39 and consequent disengagement of contact 50 from contact 51, and the coils 41, 33, and tracer levers 63, 64, and arms 61, 62, with receiving tracer 60, will be returned by the springs (not shown) to unison or normal position.

In telautog'raphic systems as heretofore constructed, however, the receiving tracer has consisted of a pen suitably supplied with ink. This has necessitated other movements of the tracer than the lateral movements just described, namely, movements to and from the writing platen 69 to dot an i, cross a t, space between words, make corrections, etc., as in ordinary handwriting, as without such to and fro movements the tracer would in dotting an i etc., leave behind it a trail of ink in approaching and leaving the i, etc., which would disfigure and probably destroy the writing. This would be true also if the tracer were a lead pencil or the like.

transmitting station, by similar to and fro movements of the transmitting tracer. The tracer, as thus moved, closed and opened what is known as a pen lifting circuit to the receiving station and this latter circuit, through suitable electrical connections at the receiving station, effected the movements of the transmittin pen to and from its writing surface and (i the transmitting tracer was at unison) into and out of the ink-well for inking. These t and fro movements of the receiving tracer are rendered unnecessary by the improvements of the present invention, according to which the record made by the transmitting tracer is a record pro duced by an electrical sparking system which will now be described, this being controlled in its operation by the transmitting tracer. This system\comprises a battery 70, a transformer, such as an induction coil 71, the secondary winding of which is included in a circuit having two terminals in close proximity to each other at the point of the receiving tracer. The primary Winding 73 connects with the opposite poles of battery 70 and, intermediate, with a high resistance electromagnet 75 and a low resistance electro-magnet 74. The closing and opening of this primary circuit is controlled by the armature 7 6 of a relay 77. The tracer 60 (which is of glass and cemented in a metal collar 60 at the end of the pen arm 62) contains two platinum wires 79, 7 9*, which with the lower end of the tracer, bear upon the paper strip 78, which rests upon the platen 69. ;Platinum wire 79 is connected by wire 81 with pen arm 62, which is of metal tubing, the corresponding pen lever 64 consistin of bamboo cemented in a metal socket 82 xed to an oscillating metal standard 83. 'Secured to standard 83 is a collar 84 of insulating material and around this a metal collar 85, to which is secured one end of a Wire or other conductor 86 extending along lever 64 and connected at its other end with en arm 62. A spring contact 87, bearing agamst collar 85, is connected by wire 88 with one end whose correspondingpen lever 63 is in v,all

respects like the pen lever 64 and is connected by a conducting wire 86' to an insulated collar against which bears a spring 87 to which the other end of the secondary winding 72 of the induction coil 71 is connected by the wire 80.

The primary circuit of induction coil 71 is as follows: Positive pole of battery 70, wire 90, winding of low resistance electromagnet 74, wires 91, 92, 93, winding of high resistance electro-magnet 75, Wires 94, 95, 96, primary winding 73 of induction coil 71, wire 97, front contact 98, armature 76 of relay 77 and wire 99 to the negative pole of battery 70. The closing and opening of this primary circuit is, as before indicated, controlled by the energization and deenergization of relay magnet 77 and attraction and release by it of its armature 76, and this is in turn controlled by the transmitting tracer 5 through electrical connections which will now be described. 100 indicates a platen contact which when the writing platen at the transmitter is depressed by the transmitting tracer 5, engages a stationmy contact 101, and closes a circuit from generator 3, consisting of wire 23, contacts 18, 22, wires 24, 102, contacts 100, 101, wire 103, contacts 15, 19 of master switch 14, and wires 103, 104, through relay magnet 77, to ground at 105; This circuit remains closed as long as the writing pla-ten and platen contact 100 are depressed, and it is opened immediately these are relieved from the pressure of the transmitting tracer, as the latter is raised from the writing platen. While this circuit remains closed relay 77 is energized, holding its armature 76 against front contact 98 and thus closing the circuit just described through the primary winding 73 of induction coil 71. When it is broken armature 76 is released and rests against its back stop 106, thus breaking this primary circuit. It will thus be seen that while transmitting tracer 5 is raised away from its writing platen, this primary circuit will be open and therefore no record will be made in the receiving instrument. The two main line circuits being closed, however, the receiving tracer will still continue to move laterally as the transmitting tracer is somoved, so that when the transmitting tracer is again lowered to the writing platen the receiving tracer will be in identically the same position with relation to its writing surface. While the transmitting tracer depresses its writing platen and is moved thereon laterally in writing the circuit through primary winding 73 will be closed and a record made by the receiving tracer 60 on its-paper strip 78, in the following manner: The current flowing in this primary circuit will excite both magnets 74, 75, and cause each to attract an armature 107 attached to a cuit controlled by movements of the trans- 180 flat spring 108 mounted in a post 109. Magnets 75, however, has a great many more turns of wire than magnet 74, and will therefore exert a greater pull upon armature 107, thus bending spring 108 until its upper end engages a contact 110 when magnet 75 will be short circuited from contact 110 through spring 108, post 109, and wire 111; thus reducing the resistance of the circuit of battery 70. The current will now be greatly increased in strength and will strongly magnetize the core of induction coil \71 and also magnet 74 which will then pull armature 107 and spring 108 away from contact 110, thus again introducing magnet 75 into the circuit. Magnet 75 will then again attract armature 107 and move spring 108 into engagement with contact 110, thus again short circuiting magnet 75. Armature 107 and spring 108 are thus maintained in a state of vibration, with the result that vibrating currents will traverse the primary winding 73 of induction coil 71. These currents will in turn induce currents of high electro-motive force in the secondary, winding 72 and cause a spark to pass between the terminals of the platinum wires 79 and 7 9 at each impulse due to the separation of spring 108 and contact 110. As these impulses continue while the writing platen and platen contact 100 are depressed by the transmitting tracer 5 and said tracer is moved over the writing platen, it follows that, as the receiving tracer 60 reproduces such movements of the transmitting tracer, the characters traced by the latter will be reproduced by the action of the spark or current on the receiving paper strip 78. To make the record instantly visible, the paper strip 78 may, if desired, be coated with finely powdered graphite, the action of the spark in such case being to clear away the graphite, or the paper may be coated or impregnated with a mixture of finely ground sulfur and lead carbonate (as described in my application filed September 10, 1915, Serial No. 49,884), in which case the action of the spark, due to its heating effect, will be to cause the sulfur to combine with the lead carbonate and form lead sulfid which is black. To eliminate sparking at the contacts 108, 110, and to cause the induction coil to de-magnetize quickly, a condenser 112 is bridged across the terminals of magnet 75 by wires 113 and 114.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telautograph tracer, thecombination, with a transmitting tracer, a receiving tracer having a pair of terminals in close proximity to its point, and means operated by movements of the transmitting tracer in its writing plane for moving the receiving tracer in a corresponding manner, of a cirmitter in a direction transverse to its writing plane, and means actuated by current in said circuit and arranged to produce sparks between the terminals at the point of the receiving tracer.

2. In a telautograph system, the combination, with a receiving platen, a receiving tracer arranged to move over said platen, said receiving tracer having a pair of electric terminals in close proximity to its point, and means for producing a flow of current between said terminals, of a transmitting tracer arranged to control the movements of the receiving tracer over its platen, and a circuit controlled by lifting and depressing the transmitting tracer and arranged to control the flow of current between the terminals at the point of the receiving tracer.

3. In a telautograph system, the combination, with a transmittin tracer movable in all directions in the writing plane, and movable toward and from said writing plane, of a receiving tracer movable in all directions in its writing plane, said receiving tracer having a pair of terminals close to its point, means controlled by the movement of the transmitting tracer in the writing lane for correspondingly moving the receiving tracer, and means controlled by the movements of the transmitting tracer toward and from its writing plane and arranged to supply a current across the gap between the two terminals at the point of the receiving tracer.

4. In a telautograph system, the combination, with a transmitting tracer movable in all directions in the writlng plane, and movable toward and from said writing plane, of a receiving tracer movable in all directions in its writing plane and provided with a pair of terminals close to its point, a circuit connected to the said terminals, a relay arranged to cause the energization of said circuit, and a line circuit closed by the movement of the transmitting tracer toward its writing plane and arranged to actuate the relay.

In a telautograph system, the combination, with a transmitting tracer movable in all directions in the writlng plane, and movable in a direction transverse to said plane, of a receiving tracer movable in all directions in its writin plane, and provided with a pair of termina s close to its point, a high tension circuit connected to said terminals, a local circuit, a transformer having its primary in the local circuit and its secondary in the high tension circuit, a relay arranged to control the local circuit, and a line circuit arranged to actuate the relay, said line circuit being opened and closed by the movements of the transmitting tracer transverse to its writing plane.

6. In a telautograph system, the combina tion, with a transmitting tracer and a receiving tracer of insulating material havin a pair of terminals of conductive materia of a pair of pen-arms for the receiving tracer of conductive material, said arms being insulated from each other, each pen-arm being in electric connection with its respective terminal ofthe receiving tracer, a pen lever for each pen-arm, each pen lever being of non-conducting material, a high tension circuit connected to each pen-arm, circuits controlled by the movements of the transmitting tracer for correspondingly moving the receiving tracer, a line circult opened and closed by movements of the transmitting tracer transverse to its writing plane, and means in said line circuit for causing the high tension circuit to be energized.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of a subscribing witness.

GEORGE S. TIFFANY. Witness:

A. WHITE. 

